אות-ד

The essential blessing of the Torah is that every person must bless Hashem, may He be blessed, who has chosen us from all the nations and given us His Torah — which is the aspect of segula (-propitious) and encompassing, for it is impossible to understand why He chose us more than all others, as the ministering angel of Egypt truly argued: "these are idol worshippers and these are idol worshippers!" Therefore Israel are in truth called "segulah" — for the proximity of Israel to their Father in Heaven, more than all the world, is only like a segulah which is above reason and cannot be grasped. This is the secret of the holy comprehensive point comprised of all the points of Israel, which is the aspect of the point of Moshe Rabbenu, peace be upon him, that is clothed in each Jew — and this point stands between sh'mad [forced apostasy] and ratzon [divine will/acceptance], and is the essential distinction between Israel and the nations. Through this one can ascend from the evil of the seventy nations, which is the aspect of sh'mad, and enter into the holiness of Israel, which is the aspect of ratzon. Therefore each person of Israel, even if he has fallen to wherever he has fallen — even to the point of barely knowing how to distinguish between the holiness of Israel and the impurity of the nations because of the great extent of his corruption, G-d forbid — even so he must strengthen himself in the point of his Jewishness that he has by birthright as a descendant of Israel. Even if he barely senses within himself the holiness of Israel due to the extent of his corruption — even so he must believe in this greatly, for this general and holy point, which is the aspect of the point of Moshe that is clothed within each Jew, is a great secret that truly cannot be grasped. Therefore, on the contrary — the one who has fallen so deeply in his mind must all the more give thanks and bless for his portion, that he is of the seed of Israel and that "He has not made me a non-Jew," and that this holy point is clothed within him — the point that is the essential distinction between the holiness of Israel and the nations, and through which point everyone can ascend from literal sh'mad to ratzon. Only let them not despair of themselves — let them not fall into the aspect of "we will be like the nations" [Ezekiel 20:32]. Rather, he must search for the good points of the holiness of Israel that are still within him, and strengthen himself through them, until he can truly ascend from sh'mad to ratzon. But to merit all of this in truth, the essential thing is through drawing close to the Tzadikim, who are the aspect of Moshe — they arouse and illuminate in us this point, and through this they sweeten all judgments and raise us from sh'mad to ratzon. (Halachos of Morning Blessings, Halacha 5, Ois 7–8) Therefore you must know: even if you are sunk in the dwelling of the k'lipos and you are at a very low level — to the point where it seems to you that it is no longer possible to draw close to Him, may He be blessed, having distanced yourself so greatly from Him — even so, know that even in your very place you can find His divinity, and from there you can attach yourself to Him, may He be blessed, and return to Him in complete teshuvah. For it is not far from you — only that in your place the garments are many. (ibid.)